Portable dam.



E. A ERNST. PORTABLE DAM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1910.

981 ,849, Y Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

W' lnvntor Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ETHAN A. ERNST, OF LAMAR, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM E. NOGAL AND ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM S. HOLBERT, OF LAMAR, COLORADO.

PORTABLE DAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETHAN A. ERNsT', a citizen of the United States, residing at Lamar, in the county of Prowers and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Portable Dam, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to portable dams designed for damming the water flowing in irrigating laterals, and it is the object of the invention to provide a device of this kind which is simple in construction, and which can be easily applied or removed.

The invention also has for its object to provide a portable dam which is adjustable to permit its application to ditches of difi'erent widths, and also to provide improved means for anchoring the dam so that it will be firmly held in place.

ith the herein stated objects in View, the invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the dam in position within the ditch. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the dam.

As shown in the drawing, the dam comprises two substantially sector-shaped wings 5 which may be made of any suitable sheet metal. The apices of the wings are rounded, and the side edges are concave. This form most readilyadapts itself to the contour of an irrigating lateral or ditch. The wings are pivotally connected at 6 to swing transversely of the ditch so that they may be spread or contracted according to the width of the ditch. The pivot is located at the lower corner of the wings, and the top edges of the wings are curved, the center of the curvature being the pivot. The wings are carried by a supporting member comprising a rod 7 which carries the pivot 6. This rod extends vertically in front of the wings and projects at its lower end for a suitable distance below the said wings, said projecting portion being adapted to be driven into the bottom of the ditch. To facilitate the insertion of the rod, its lower end is pointed. The upper end of the-rod is bent across the top of the wings, and is then extended downwardly behind the same as indicated at 8, and connected to the pivot 6. On the portion 8 of the supporting rod is an eye 9, to

which is loosely connected a brace 10. This brace will be extended at an inclination to the bottom of the ditch, and driven thereinto.

Attached to each wing adjacent to the junction of its side and top edges, is a handle 11, and this'portion of each wing also carries a side supporting member 12, which may be a continuation of the handles. The handles extend upwardly, and project a short distance above the top edges of the wings so that they may be readily grasped,

and the parts 12 project laterally from the wings, at a downward inclination, and are adapted to be stuck into the sides of the ditch as shown in Fig. 1, the outer ends of said parts being pointed, so that they may be more readily inserted.

A dam constructed as herein described has a wide range of adjustment, and may therefore be applied to ditches of different widths. It can be readily placed in position in the ditch or removed therefrom, so that the water may be stopped at any point in the ditch. Inasmuch as the wings are anchored at the sides of the ditch, and the supporting member of the wings is anchored in front and also behind the same, the dam is firmly held in place within the ditch and will be able to successfully withstand the pressure of the water.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable dam comprising pivotally connected wings swinging transversely of the ditch, and a support carrying said wings, said support comprising a rod extending in front of the wings, and projecting below the same, the projecting end of the rod being adapted to be inserted into the bottom of the ditch, and the upper end of the rod extending in a bend across the top edges of the wings, and downwardly behind the same, the pivot of the wings being carried by said front and rear portions of the rod, and the wings being located therebetween.

2. A portable dam comprising pivotally connected wings swinging transversely of the ditch, a support carrying said wings, said support comprising a rod extending in front of the wings, and projecting below the same, the projecting end of the rod being adapted to be inserted into the bottom of the ditch, and the upper end of the rod extending in a bend across the top edges of the wings, and downwardly behind the same, the

- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature pivot of the Wings being carried by said front and rear portions of the rods and the I Wings being located therebetween, a brace extending from the rear portion of the rod I to the bottom of the ditch, and anchoring means carried'by the Wings, and engageable with the sides of theditch. l

Witnesses:

IRA E. LWADLEY, NATHAN R. BLAKE. 

